Learning to accept an autism diagnosis in your mid-50s, with Nick Hart

Dan is joined by Nick Hart to talk about how a later-life autism diagnosis has put into context some of the mental health challenges he's faced.We talk about how his diagnosis helped explain certain things for Nick, and the difficulties he is now experiencing in coming to terms with it. Nick talks in a very measured and clear way, explaining patiently how he has struggled with his mental health, the things that cause him particular challenges, and some of the things he's learned about managing his well-being.Here are the timestamps for when each of our core questions is discussed, so you can fast-track to Nick's answers:0:00 Introduction to GoodEnoughChats and Nick2:32 Why are you sharing your mental health experiences with us today? 5:34 How has your last week been?12:04 How has your relationship with your mental health evolved?41:42 What have been the lightbulb moments for you?1:00:56 If someone facing a similar problem came to you today, what's the most important thing they can do?If you'd like to chat with Nick about his experiences, reach out to him via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-hart-4790611a4/If you're interested in sharing your mental health story to help others who might be going through something similar, you can connect with Dan on LinkedIn too: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danbowsher/Find the show on your favourite podcast platform and follow us on all our socials via this link: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/goodenoughchats⁠⁠Why is GoodEnoughChats a thing? There is a mental health crisis for men aged between their mid-thirties and early fifties, and one of the things we know can make a positive difference is encouraging men to open up about what's on their minds. Each episode of GoodEnoughChats features a new guest who has volunteered to share their experiences to help destigmatise mental health amongst men. The discussions are all centred on the same five questions, but each one tells a unique story that might be useful for someone else to hear. We want to build a bank of these chats so they are there for people when they need them.If you have been affected by some of the issues addressed in this conversation, please know that you are not alone and there are some fantastic places you can turn to for help, including (but by no means limited to):NHS, https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/ The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), https://www.thecalmzone.net/Samaritans, https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/Mind, https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/